BiS – BiSimulation PV

Okay, technically this is the Special Edit version but it’s basically the full PV.

Yep, Brand-new Idol Society, the idol group based on defying all the current cliches of idol groups, is back with a new single and a new PV to go with it. The single is titled BiSimulation and the leading track was composed by Hidaka Toru, former member of Beat Crusaders and current member of The StarBeams. I think the song is okay but not one of the best from BiS. It’s a little too repetitive for me but I do like the rock sound it has.

Now personally, I’m a fan of BiS for their music. They’re a nice change from the sparkly idol pop I constantly review and even from technopop. A lot of the group’s music falls into that alt-rock genre I have a secret love for and Idol is Dead is slowly becoming one of my favorite idol albums. But as much as I like BiS’ music, I’m actually not a huge fan of their PVs. It’s not that I think they’re weird but often they just… don’t grab my attention. There are a few exceptions (like PPCC and even My Ixxx) but mostly I follow BiS for their music.

Oddly enough, the look and concept of the BiSimulation PV reminds me of their Primal PV of all things. I think it’s mainly because the promo pics for Primal consisted of fake blood and both PVs rely on shock value to pull in their respective audiences. However, I think Primal pulled it off a little better though mainly because the use of cheap handheld cameras to shoot the PV along with the personal, dare I say primal shots are not only nasty but keep the viewer’s attention.

BiSimulation also relies of fake blood to garner shock value but that’s about it. I admit the outfits are kind of cool but other than the fake blood, there isn’t much that happens in this PV. The girls get soaked in blood Carrie-style and then that’s pretty much it. The rest of the PV focuses on them dancing in slow motion and then the video finally ends after a backdrop change that looks like it came from a Tokyo Girls’ Style set.

The biggest problem that the BiSimulation PV has is that it suffers from monotony. At first, all the fake blood being thrown at the girls is shocking but that shock value dies down quickly. And then you’re just left with five girls soaked in blood and that’s not as entertaining as it sounds. Many of the shots are the same and a lot of the video is shot in slow motion, making for a rather dull PV. I just don’t feel like there’s a lot going on in this PV beyond the visuals.

I will say, if you’re someone who gets squeamish at the sight of blood, then you might want to skip this PV. Although the blood is fake and, it can still look a little nasty especially if you can’t handle a lot of blood. Not to mention there’s a lot of it; okay, it doesn’t reach Tarantino levels but it’s still pretty graphic for an idol PV. As someone whose not particularly fazed by blood, real or fake, the ridiculous amount of blood is rather entertaining but it’s not enough to keep me entertained for 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Naturally, I don’t think everyone can find as much entertainment value as I did out of the gratuitous amounts of fake blood.

Then again, that’s what BiS is all about, aren’t they? Pushing the limits of what defines an idol, being unconventional, you know their schtick if you’re a fan of the group. And how much you like that concept will pretty much determine whether this is a video you’re going to like or not. I find the video to be a little to reliant on shock value and it feels like one of the group’s more desperate attempt to emphasize how un-idoly they are.

If you like your idols cute and clean, then you’re probably not going to like the BiSimulation PV. It’s yet another odd and out-there PV from the group. My advice is to check out Brand-new Idol Society’s music before checking out their music videos because they can leave a bad impression with you. But beyond that anti-idol image and the gritty PVs is an idol group with some pretty kickass music and BiSimulation is another good song from BiS.